Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Contact: Liz Buckley, Executive Director of FOCUS (a federation of PICO United Florida),
ebuckley@focusorlando.org, m
407-924-8905 Clergy and community leaders celebrate defeat of Amendment 3 PICO United Florida leads grassroots campaign to protect education and public services by turning back TABOR in Florida [Orlando, FL] – Clergy and community leaders with FOCUS and PICO United Florida celebrated the defeat of Amendment 3 tonight after reaching out to more than one million Florida residents to warn them about the threat that this TABOR measure would have on public education and services in the state.
PICO United Florida and its member federations and partners led a grassroots effort that included more than 100 public events, 650,000 calls to undecided voters and conversations with 100,000 voters at early voting sites and polling places. For six months more than 470 volunteers talked face-to-face and on the phone with 156,000 Florida voters about about how Amendment 3 would impact their families and communities. Congregations from across the state held voter registration drives and galvanized volunteers for phone banking, door-to-door outreach, and "Souls to the Polls" on the Sunday of early voting.
"This victory for Florida families shows that voters support investments in our children and communities, not more cuts to the things that matter most," said the Rev. Errol Thompson, a clergy leader with PICO United Florida and the No-on-3 Campaign. "We won because of the prayers and hard work by hundreds of community leaders and God working in the hearts of people."
Despite long lines and waits up to 6 hours, Florida voters rejected Amendment 3, which would have deepened existing cuts to schools, senior programs, and police and fire protection.
"Not only did we fight off a dangerous budget cap that would have limited our state's economic recovery, but we also stood up to some of the most insidious voter suppression tactics we've seen in decades. From limiting the days of early voting to mismanagement of the polls that caused people to wait literally for hours in lines, it seems there are some in Florida who will do anything to try to make it harder for folks to vote," said Rev. Thompson.
"But when you see voting as an expression of your deepest values – as many people of faith do – then a long line isn't going to dissuade you," Thompson added.
For PICO United Florida and Orlando affiliate FOCUS, the successful grassroots campaign to defeat TABOR in Florida also means new volunteers, new technology and new insight about how to reach andactivate people of faith. Hundreds of volunteers, most from congregations and schools, learned how to staff phone banks, run door-to-door canvasses, collect voter registrations, and use databases to track and report their efforts.
"We now have a whole new group of people that were moved by their faith to help us defeat Amendment 3 and areready for the next fight," said Peter Phillips, Executive Director of PICO United Florida. "Whether its foreclosure prevention, immigrants' rights, voting rights, or federal budget issues, faith voters are ready for the next big challenge."
'Today's celebration is sweet, but the work isn't over. Unlike a political campaign, our work as people of faith organizing for justice doesn't end on election night. We'll be at it again tomorrow, because what fuels us is an overflowing passion for loving God's people and seeking God's righteousness. And that's a year-round task," said Pastor Marcel Davis.
PICO United Florida recognizes the invaluable contributions of partners including the League of Women Voters, the Florida Parent Teacher Association, the Florida Education Association, the Florida AARP, Florida New Majority, SEIU, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Mi Familia Vota and National Council of La Raza for making this important victory possible.
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